Flowering TreesAmerican Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua
American Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) is a fast-growing flowering tree, hardy in USDA zones 5-9, that matures to about 60-80 ft × 40-60 ft. It does best in full sun with medium water needs in well-drained, moist and occasionally-dry soil. Expect yellow and green blooms in spring. It attracts moths, pollinators and small mammals, stands up well to compaction, deer and drought.
- USDA zones
- 5-9
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Medium
- Mature size
- 60-80 ft × 40-60 ft
- Spacing
- more than 60 feet
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Maintenance
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally-dry, Occasionally-wet
- Foliage
- Yellow, Orange, Purple
- Bloom color
- Yellow, Green
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Attracts
- Moths, Pollinators, Small mammals, Songbirds
- Tough against
- Compaction, Deer, Drought, Fire, Heat, Rabbits
- Watch out for
- Messy
- Native to
- Eastern United States, Mexico
In the landscape
Data sources
Freeze survival
Will it survive your winters?
Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — American Sweetgum is hardy to about -20°F (estimated from USDA zone 5), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.
Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.
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